Green, Libertarian Parties Await Approval For Nov. Ballot

For third parties in Illinois, it's down to the wire to get on the November ballot. Decisions Thursday and Friday will determine how many choices voters will have.

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As Hannah Meisel reports, the fates of two third parties in Illinois hang in the balance as they await decisions on whether their candidates can appear on the November ballot.

To get their candidates on the ballot in Illinois, the two established parties — Democrats and Republicans — have to collect the signatures of 5,000 registered voters. But to get its nominees on the ballot, a third party must collect five times as many.

The Green Party of Illinois claims it exceeded that, collecting almost 30,000. But an objection filed with the State Board of Elections challenged over 12,000 of those signatures.

Instead of going through with the time- and cost-intensive process of defending each name, the Green Party filed a federal lawsuit against the elections board. The party says the laborious process is unconstitutional.

The Green Party's candidate for governor, Scott Summers, says the uncertainty of the situation has made it difficult to campaign at all, what with no name recognition...

"...and the money and the resources and the staff and the volunteers," he said. "I mean, all that is very hard to come by for a new party at this stage. Nobody wants to commit unless we're on the ballot."

The lawsuit should be decided today. If an injunction is granted, the Green Party candidates will likely go on the ballot.

The state's Libertarian party is likely safe after battling the board of elections over their signature count.